The mountain of praise heaped on this enigma has me puzzled and surprised almost as much as the film itself. Am I missing something ? This appears to be about a simple Simon, named Fink, lured by money or an agent to embark on a career in old-style Hollywood. Following the frequent mentions of wrestling and Wallace Beery, I fathomed it was set in the time period circa 1930-33. Beery made a wrestling picture called Flesh in 1932.
Fink meets another writer said to be modelled on Faulkner, but who also seems to have traits of Scott Fitzgerald, including a significant other resembling Zelda. It occurs to me that there is often vomiting in the Coen movies, and the Faulkner/Fitzgerald character is first come across while vomiting. The Zelda type is portrayed by Judy Davis in a very memorable performance.
There are other encounters. The desk clerk emerges from a subterranean domain, and repeatedly emphasizes his name, which is Chet. He may be standing in for Cerberus. The dead-headed lift attendant ferrying residents may represent Charon. Fink has a room on the 6th floor. It might as well be floor 666.
His neighbour is Charlie, aka Mad Karl Mundt. Could he be standing in for The Devil ? There are also two cops, who are proto-Nazis. Then there are some Hollywood executive types. Geisler; maybe a form of Thalberg. Jon Polito is, unusually, a humiliated gopher. Then there's an alarming mogul, possibly a cross between Cohn, Mayer and Warner, one of whom used to keep a photo of Mussolini in his office. He later wears a uniform. When this tycoon is displeased with Fink's film script, he fires Geisler instead. He had earlier kissed Fink's shoe.
The film ends with a beautiful lady stranger on the shore. I have to confess I was mystified and bewildered by this entire production. The hotel is ultimately engulfed in the flames of the underworld. The finished work is alleged to have helped the Coens to come up with Miller's Crossing. Make of it what you will. The oeuvre of the Coens is uneven, but intriguing. This one I'd say is dissatisfying, but no doubt it's meant to be.
Fink meets another writer said to be modelled on Faulkner, but who also seems to have traits of Scott Fitzgerald, including a significant other resembling Zelda. It occurs to me that there is often vomiting in the Coen movies, and the Faulkner/Fitzgerald character is first come across while vomiting. The Zelda type is portrayed by Judy Davis in a very memorable performance.
There are other encounters. The desk clerk emerges from a subterranean domain, and repeatedly emphasizes his name, which is Chet. He may be standing in for Cerberus. The dead-headed lift attendant ferrying residents may represent Charon. Fink has a room on the 6th floor. It might as well be floor 666.
His neighbour is Charlie, aka Mad Karl Mundt. Could he be standing in for The Devil ? There are also two cops, who are proto-Nazis. Then there are some Hollywood executive types. Geisler; maybe a form of Thalberg. Jon Polito is, unusually, a humiliated gopher. Then there's an alarming mogul, possibly a cross between Cohn, Mayer and Warner, one of whom used to keep a photo of Mussolini in his office. He later wears a uniform. When this tycoon is displeased with Fink's film script, he fires Geisler instead. He had earlier kissed Fink's shoe.
The film ends with a beautiful lady stranger on the shore. I have to confess I was mystified and bewildered by this entire production. The hotel is ultimately engulfed in the flames of the underworld. The finished work is alleged to have helped the Coens to come up with Miller's Crossing. Make of it what you will. The oeuvre of the Coens is uneven, but intriguing. This one I'd say is dissatisfying, but no doubt it's meant to be.